Pixie-pop singer Jessica Mai and a jumble of talented open-mic players kicked off the first Haida Gwaii Coffeehouse of the year on Sept. 27.
The pass-the-hat music series is hosted by volunteers in the romantically-lit Daajing Giids Community Hall every month from September through March, usually on the last Friday. Each night starts with a shared meal, then open-mic performers and a feature musician.
Jessica Mai was backed by Behn Cochrane on drums as she sang ‘Cool Kids,’ the lead single on her debut album, and other songs.
Jay Myers backed up his son Declan, who worked the crowd before belting out Peter Gabriel’s “The Power of the Heart.” Basia Wojtazek brang a beautiful accordion into mix — she got the crowd singing The Beatles’ “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da.”
Karen Dean sang “Charlie,” a song about Chanie Wenjack recorded by songwriter and activist Willie Dunn on his self-titled record from 1971. Wenjack was an Anishinaabe boy who died in October 1966 after trying to run away from an Indian residential school in Kenora, Ontario back to his home 600 km away on the Marten Falls First Nation.
Mitch Drake and Sean Gairdner rocked out as the duo Dark Wild, and Gord Horner and Marnie Younger played the blues hit “Hound Dog” as first recorded by Willie May ‘Big Mama’ Thornton in 1952 before Elvis Presley made it his number-one record.
On Friday, Oct. 25, the next Haida Gwaii Coffeehouse will feature William ‘Tycoon’ Russ, a hip-hop emcee and producer born and raised on Haida Gwaii. Fans can get a sneak preview of his upcoming album Persevere at carvingshhedstudios.bandcamp.com.
